http://www.nbcnews.com/...les-bankruptcy-6C10678946

Very similar situation happening to most of the midwest. In no other place in the world do you see city centers completely rotted out with a ring of suburbs to sustain some semblance of economic and social activity.

It's not hard to think of the reasons why, which is immediately censored by the political correctness police. Harlem, Gary, St. Louis, etc are all rotting. Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Minneapolis are not. But in time they will be given current trends.

you might want try looking at some Chinese cities. just more ruins added to the planet to confuse the archeologists about how people used to live.

Salt Lake City is doing quite well, considering that they're intentionally limiting their growth to avoid having the urban sprawl of cities like Los Angeles (my home city).

Unfortunately, what makes Salt Lake City so un-fluffing-bearable is the fact that while the city is the capital of the state (I live 39 miles north of there, in Ogden, a real fluff-hole) the city is also the center of the Mormon (read: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, for those who take offense to the term) 'religion'.

The city is a nice place to live, and while it's nice that the city has a nice nightlife, the city still practices some forms of discrimination against gays and lesbians, which at times makes it worse than DADT for those who were in the military. The city has a Gay Pride festival every June, and several business will actually sponsor and support it, but for those than don't, those employers will outright terminate your employment for no other reason than that you are gay or lesbian. And instead of having the spine to cite this as a reason will always, invariably cite some flippant reason like the need to 'cut overhead spending', 'having too many employees is costing the company it's profits', etc...

Actually Salt Lake City I believe gets listed as the most GAY city, as a percentage of Population in the country

Oooh, I know. Kick everyone currently in detroit the fluff out, then take half the population of houston and put them there. Just send everyone that was in detroit to wherever our illegals came from and we'll be golden.

Since 1960, detroit has lost over a million people. Since 1960, houston has grown by over a million people.

hmmm need to fix my sig

Minneapolis is doing well - employment on the rise, housing costs stabilizing, many supple breasted women to choose from, etc. I love living up here!

Stryke:
I have a home in Bountiful, four blocks away from the big "B" on the side of the mountain. Almost bought in ogden canyon but didnt like ogden, though it was a fluffhole. Utah is the place to be in the winter.

First off...

***DISCLAIMER*** I think bigotry against any group of people is stupid, and I have nothing against homosexuals. In fact, I just went to a wedding reception for a lesbian couple this weekend, but....

Of course those employers don't cite the real reason (if it is indeed that they fired someone for being gay). If they're firing someone for that reason, they can't tell the truth without being guaranteed of being sued.

If you're a business owner who disagrees with gay marriage, for example, you can't even refuse to involve your company with something with which you disagree on religious/moral grounds:

http://www.deseretnews.com/...ow-fight-isnt.html?pg=all

This is just plain wrong. The civil rights movement and the laws that followed did a lot of good. Elminiation of *government sponsored* racism was necessary. Elmination of your freedom of association (and the freedom to NOT associate with whoever you choose) was a very very bad outcome.

A black business owner should be free to not associate with whites if he/she so chooses.. and the reverse is also true. Nobody should ever be forced to deal with someone just because they're in a "protected class".

As a branch manager first, and now a business owner, I never fired anyone in a "protected class". I couldn't without risking an expensive lawsuit. Straight whites who needed to be fired got fired. Anybody else got their hours cut until they found a different job or decided to go on unemployment. That may sound stupidly paranoid, but I've actually got one employee who I know sued his former employer for "discrimination", after dozens of people in his position were let go when the position was eliminated. Rather than spend tens of thousands on lawyers and then possibly still lose to this frivolous lawsuit, they had to just settle.

Its time for civil rights laws to be reexamined, and for freedom of association to be restored.

its seems a nice forum
great discussion


thanks for sgaring

I'm not sure you've ever been to St. Louis

i have. for a couple hours at the airport. Hairy Khrisna, Hairy Hairy Khrishna!

I highly doubt St. Louis declares bankruptcy anytime soon. It is not even close to being in the same financial situation as Detroit.

I'm in Detroit as we speak. I'm from the St. Louis area. East St. Louis (in Illinois) is in shambles, but that is not the same as St. Louis.

Spoken like a true coog

Dude, you have hit the nail as squarely on the head as anyone I have ever read on the internet and that includes some distinguished fellows. The problem is that we "have created" protected classes of people. The civil rights amendment was never intended to do this, the "regulations were written by LAWYERS who stood to make money from the "I knew this would happen" litigation.

The same thing is going on with the Family court system and has been for numerous years under the radar. There are some incredible threats from this government that are threatening the very foundation of our (The People's) assumption of rights to control the government rather than the reverse, and for the most part, it's all about the MONEY, which is what the LAWYERS want.

The fundamental root of the entire problem lies squarely with LAWYERS and the concept of "situational ethics".

I know, you all think I should "put on a tinfoil hat", and frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about what you think. But if you're a reasonably intelligent person, such as SuperTodd has amply demonstrated with his concise and completely explanatory to the "great unwashed" can understand.

For my evidence of this being the root of the problem, let me say this.

Examine the make up of the congress of the United States.
How many "Farmers" are there in congress?

How many "Bakers" are there in congress?

How many "Bankers" are there in congress?

How many "Lawyers" are there in congress?

I'm sure you see my point here. The people who are going to make the money by setting up laws that can be challenged in such a way stand to make the most MONEY, off the passage of a law than anyone, on whatever side, the LAWYERS get to have a field day, clean out both sides for as much as they can get and laugh all the way to the bank.

They give each other jobs that they otherwise would be completely unqualified for in a private employment environment. Everyone remember Hurricane Katrina?

What profession was the head of FEMA during this period? How about all his "deputy directors"?

Do you see a pattern here?

It's fixing to get a LOT worse too.